Method and apparatus for drawing wire



nay 24. 1921- 1,629,

F. H. NULLMEYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed Aug. 16, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 d $1 a Q I k N Q :0 N Q INVENTOR METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING WIRE 3 Shuts-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1923 iNVENTOR rim/x.

May 24, 1927.

H. NULLMEYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed Aug. 16, 1923 .3'Sh0ets-Sheet 3 Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK H. NULLMEYER, or srnu'rnnns'onro. I

METHOD AND arraim'rus ron nnnwme wmn.

Application filed August 16, 1923. Serial No. 657,705.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for drawing wire-where successive drafts or reductions are made. 4 v In the ordinary practice today, the coiled rod is placed on a reel or what is commonly known as a flipper. The end of the rod is pointed, the pointed end passed through an opening in suitable reducing means such as dies, plates, wortles or diamonds, for the first reduction. and then drawn by means of apulling block through the reducing means and coiled on the block as drawn thereby. After the wire has been given the first reduction, the coiled wire is removed from the block and placed on a reel. is repeated for each reduction; and after the final reduction the wire is removed from the block, bundled, and placed in stock.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide apparatus for wire drawing by which the labor is lessened and the operations can be carried out more rapidly. To that end it consists in using a rotary drawing block alternately as a combined drawing block and reel, and as a paying out reel for feeding the wire to another drawing block. It also consists in combining a removable stripper with such combined drawing block and paying out reel.

My invention willbe best understood by drawings showing a preferred form of apparatus which will now be described, it being premised, however, that changes may be made i 1 in the details of constructionand the general arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention as defined i the appended claims.

In these drawings Figure. 1 is a plan view'of two drawing units in relation to a strippingdevice;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the drawing apparatus shown in Figure 1,together with the stripping device;

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the coil holders shown in its closed position, or in the position which it assumes whenthe coil of wire is released therefrom; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of another form of apparatus by which my method can be carried out. w

In Figuresl, 2 and 3 of the drawings, 2 designates a frame having an upwardly pro.- jecting spindle 4 on which is rotatably mounted a turret 3,, which may be turned by hand. Rotatably mounted on a spindle This operation stantially flush with 6 at each end of the turret 3 is a drawing block 5, each spindle 6 having a clutch element 7 at its lower end. Each block 5 is provided with radial grooves'for receiving the ends of hell crank levers 8 of a removable coil holder or striper shown in Figure 3.

hesc bell crank evers 8 are pivotally mounted in a frame 9, and connected. to an armed operating device 10. Pivotally connected to a lug on the operating device 10 is one end of a link 11 which is in turn connectedto one arm of a bell crank lever 12, pivoted at 13 to a lug on the frame 9, the other arm of the bell crank lever are pivotally 12 forming an operating handle which may be held in itslocked position by a lug 14 on the frame 9. Each of these strip ers is also provided with a ring 15 arrange to be engaged by the hook of a crane as hereinafter described.

When the strippers are in position on the blocks, the downwardly extending arms of the hell cranks 8 are seated within the radial 'ooves or seats in the blocks, the outer faces of the lower ends of the levers 8 being subblocks 5.-

Rotatably mounted in bearings-in the side portion of the frame 2 is a shaft 16. The distance from the center of the' shaft 16 to the center "of the spindle 4 is equal to the distance from the center of the spindle 4 to the centers of the shafts or spindles 6 of the drawing blocks, so that either spindle 6 can be brought into axial alinement with the shaft 16. Splined to the shaft 16 and slidably mounted thereon is a clutch element-17, which is arranged to be moved into clutching engagement with the clutch element 7 of the block to be used for drawing, as hereinafter described. The clutch element 17 is raised and lowered by a bell crank 18 pivoted on the frame 2, and operated through a link 19 by an operating lever 20. 21 is a spring actuated detent mounted in the frame 2 for retaining of its shifted positions.

. Secured .to the lower end of the shaft 16.

is abevel gear 22, which is driven by a pinion 23 on a shaft 24 rotatablymounted in bearings in the frame 2. The shaft 24,: in the construction shown, is driven by means of gearing 25 interposed between the end of the shaft 24 and an individual driving motor 26. It will be the lower rims of the the bell crank 18 in either understood, however, that where of f the. blocks.

28.. This end is grasped by a series of such drawing apparatus is provided, they may all be driven from a common shaft, if desired.

Pivotally mounted on the upper end of the spindle 4 is a die or plate holder and lubricant holding box 27. In Figure 2 I have illustrated a die. 28 held in drawing position by means of a clamp screw 29, the device being arranged for holding two dies or plates such as 28, the second being held by a clamp screw 29 In Figure 1, I have shown a pair of such drawing devices, each driven by an individual motor. Located at one side of and between the two drawing devices is a stripperlifting apparatus 30, which in this case merely consists of an ordinary crane arranged to be moved into operative relation with the blocks at the left-hand end of both of the drawing devices. In this figure there is zlilso shown at 31 an ordinary flipper or ree Y In the operation of the device, a reeled rod as it comes from the reducing rolls, may be placed either on the reel 31 or on the left hand block of the upper drawin device shown in Figure l; the drawing. device at the right-hand side being connected to the driving mechanism so that it is positively rotated thereby, while the block at the left-' hand is free to rotate about its axis. The end of the coiled rod is pointed and passed through the opening in the the usual clamp ing mechanism, and power is applied to retate the drawing block at the right-hand end, for drawing the wire through the reducing means and the lubricant in the box 27, to thereby reduce the cross section of the wire. During the drawing of the wire by the block, the wire is gradually moved upwardly onto the stripper on the block, and is coiled thereon. After theentire length of the wire has been drawn through the reducing means the operator disengages the clutch from the drawin block, and rotates theturret 3, 180 about t e spindle {1, to reverse the positions One end of the wire 'just and is then passed through drawn is pointe dieof smaller diameter. The

a drawing pointed end of the wire is then grasped by block, which is now block on-which it' was the usual block, the clutch is engaged with this empty through the second reducing means from the previously coiled.

i This operation is repeated until the wire has been given the desired number of drafts,

block and stripper with the wire coil ismoved to the lefthand side of the machine, the coiled wire is bound bymeans of wire; the hook of the crane is then gaged with the eye 15 of the holder, and the stripper together with the-- reducing means grasping device on the otherat the right-hand side of the apparatus, and the wire is drawn coil of wire thereon is lifted by the crane and transferred to a position over a buggy or 'car- 33, .as shown in Figure 2. When in this position over the buggy the handle or bell crank 12 is released to actuate the toggle members to collapse the downwardly extending legs of the bell cranks 8 and permit the stripper to be freed of the'coil of wire, as-

clearly shown in Figure The stripper holders for lubricant and wire reducing means in front of draw blocks 5*, 5", 5, 5 and 5, respectively.

In drawin wire by the apparatussuch as shown in igure 4, a reeled rod is placed on the flipper 31, the end of the rod is pointed and passed through the reducing means in holder 27. The wire is gripped by the gripper .on block 5*, clutch lever 20 is then shifted to connect draw block 5 to shaft 16 and the wire is drawn from the fiipper'3f1 through the reducing means in holder 27*- by block 5 and is coiled on its stripper. After the wire has been drawn by block 5, block 5 is discon- :nected from shaft lo and block 5 is con- When making five drafts. the wire is then successively drawn through reducing'devices 27?, 27 and 27 by the respective blocks 5,

5 and 5 from blocks 5", 5 and 5, re

spectively. After the wire has been reduced Inn llO

by this required number of draft-s, the coiled wire on the draw block used for making the lastdraft, is wiredto form a tight bundle, the stripper and bundle are lifted from the block by a crane 30 and deposited onto a buggy 33 asabove described.

After the wire has been unreeled. from block 5 and block 5 'is drawing the wire from block b","(which now functions as a reel), block 5 can again be used as a draw block, as illustrated in Figure 4. In this figure blocks 5, 5 and {Ware drawing wire through reducing means, the. wire passing from flipper 31%, blocks 5 and 5, respectively, so that three drafts are being made si-' multaneously by means of an apparatus such as shown, five successive drafts can be made. and at any time if desired, either twoor three drafts can be made simultaneously.

The operator is-not only saved work,.but

as he is only required to pick up the end of the wire after it passes through the die and pass it through the next die and engage it with the next drawing block, a great deal of time is saved between drafts.

In the form shown in. Figures :1 and 2 the stripping device is' located between two units, and by means of'iny invention one operator can readily operate two or more units, whereby the output of one man is materially increased.

The advantages of my invention result from the provision of an apparatus whereby the blocks are alternately used as combined drawing blocks and reels and then as paying out reels from which the wire is unreeled by another block so that wire may be given a plurality of drafts, without the necessity of the operator handling the wire between drafts. Further advantages result from using a removable stripper with onetor all of the drawing blocks, this stripper being preferably removable upwardly. though within the scope of my broader claims this removable stripper may not be used.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for drawing wire.. com- I prising a turret adapted to be rotated about an axis, a plurality of'blocks for drawing and coiling wlre rotatably mounted on said turret, the axes of the various blocks being equidistant from the axis of the turret, a

holder for a reducing means between the blocks and in a line substantially tangent to the blocks, a driving shaft, and means for connecting the driving shaft to either .of said blocks to draw the wire through the reducing means from-another block.

2. An apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a turret adapted to rotate about an axis, two drawing blocks rotatably mounted on said tu'rret,.the drawing blocks being diametrically disposed with relation to the axis of the turret, while the axes of the blocks are equidistant from the axis of the turret,

a driving shaft. said driving shaft being so mounted that the axis of either draw block can be alined with the axis of the shaft, a reducing means lying between the blocks. and means on the shaft and each draw block for connecting the draw block in driving relation to the shaft.

3. An apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a plurality of independent wire drawing units, each unit comprising a turret adapted to rotate about an axis. each turret having two draw blocks equidistant from the axis of the turret, a driving shaft parallel to the axes of-the draw blocks, the center of the shaft being so spaced from the center of the turret that the axis of either draw block can be alinedwith the axis of the drive shaft, means for connecting the drive shaft with either draw block when the axis of the draw block and the shaft are alined, a reducing means lying between the blocks and in a line substantially tangent thereto, and a stripping device located between the units and arranged to strip the wire from the draw block of either'unit which made the la t draft.

4. 1n wire drawing apparatus, a combined rotary drawing block and coil holder, a reducing means lying between the blocks and in a line substantially tangent thereto, a movable support therefor, and a driving connection arranged to positively rotate the block and coil holder when'used as adraw block, in one position of the support, the block beingmovable with its support away from the driving connection.

An apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a rotatable turret, a plurality of d iving means for rotating said blocks adapted to be successively connected therewith upon rotation of said turret to bring said blocks successively into operative relation to said driving moans, substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a turret adapted to rotate about an axis, a plurality of draw blocks rotatably mounted on such turret, a plurality of reducing means, and a holder therefor. said holder being movable to different positions to bring any of said reducing means into a line ,substantially tangent to the blocks, substantiallyas described. i

7. Apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a turret adaptedto be rotated about an axis, a plurality of blocks so mounted on such turret that a line drawn tangent to the blocks substantially intersects theaxis of the-turret, and a holder fora plurality of reducing means rotatably mounted upon such axis. substantially as described".

8. Apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a turret adapted to be rotated about an axis, a plurality of blocks so mounted on such turret that a line drawn tangent to the blocks substantially intersects the axis of the turret, a holder for a plurality of reducing means rotatably mounted upon,

,mentto various positions to bring any of the drawing blocks into operative relation the reducing means is adapted to receive wire paid out from one of the blocks and being drawn through the reducing means by another of the blocks, substantially as described. i

10. Apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a plurality of draw blocks rotatably -mounted on a common base, the blocks being spaced substantially equal distances from a point on such base, a driving means for supplying power to the draw blocks, the base being adapted for rotation around said point to bring any of the draw blocks into operative relation with the driving means, and reducing means adjacent such point of rotation, substantially as described.

11. Apparatus for drawing wire, comprising a. pair of draw blocks, a common base on which the draw blocks are rotatably mounted, reducing means placed on a line substantially tangent to each of the blocks,

prising a pair of draw'blocks, a common base on which the draw blocks are rotatably mounted, reducing means placed on a line substantially tangent to each of the blocks, the blocks being so arranged that one of them may be employed as a paying out reel for supplying wire to the reducing means, while the other block is used as a drawing block, means for reversing the position of the blocks, and a single power means adapted to drive either of the blocks when such block is in a position Where it acts as a drawing block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK H. NULLMEYER. 

